Oklahoma Drivers Beware: Deer Season Has Already Started

Every fall in Southwest Oklahoma, you can set your watch by two things: cooler weather and people hitting deer with their cars.

When Deer Collisions Usually Peak

Normally, this little tradition doesn’t get rolling until November, but this year the deer have decided to start a little early. I should say, I guess they have. At least I spent the weekend dodging them on Highway 62.

I was way out west at my grandma’s house doing a little lawn mowing and tinkering in the shop to bring an old radio back to life. After the two-hour wait for dinner at the only restaurant in town, I didn't hit the road back to Lawton until after dark, and the deer were everywhere.

That drive home was as it always has been. The first half breezes by, thanks to a handful of little towns breaking up the trip. But once get on this side of Altus, that stretch to Lawton is the longest piece of blacktop in the state.

Somewhere along the way, while chatting with my mom on the phone, I crested a hill and there they were... A dozen deer beside the highway, about three hundred feet ahead.

Worse, when I hit the brakes in the typical rural-Oklahoma-deer-in-the-road-panic, they scattered right into my path.

Thankfully, I didn't hit any, but then I started to notice lots of drivers haven't been as lucky recently. Carcasses every few miles it seems.

The Science Behind Early Deer Movement

Here’s the thing: this kind of deer dodgeball usually happens in November and December. So why September? We talked it over later, and the theory makes sense: the cooler temps have deer up and moving earlier than usual.

Normally, the average late summer heat keeps them bedded down to conserve energy, and food’s scarce anyway since fields are between crops and it's usually dry. But thanks to a wetter-than-usual summer and cooler weather, conditions are perfect right now.

Plenty to eat, and just cool enough to wander.

So consider this fair warning: deer season isn’t just for hunters this year. It’s already open for cars, too. And trust me, you don’t want to be the next one explaining to your insurance guy how a 120-pound animal wrecked your front end.